Button vs cut rifle barrels

[VinceMule]

Never forget, service after the sale is a major part of any barrel maker's product. Production items will always have a cull from time to time, how the barrel make treats the customer is critical.

Some barrel makers have forgotten that "Customers are the Key" to their business.

 

[BillLarson]

I have two Bartlein barrels that are cut rifled. They are my best shooters. I have lots of other production button rifle barrels that are ok, but are about half as consistent and accurate as my Bartleins.

Can a company like Seekins really make a button rifled barrel that would be consistently equal to a cut rifled barrel? I really like the PH 2, but the button rifling has me concerned I might be disappointed. I don't see a lot of F class winners using button rifled barrels. I want .5 moa or better and comparable poi shift from heat, is that realistic with Seekins button rifling? Stress in the metal does a lot of unpredictable things.

yes.....,

 

[Buttermilk]

I have already posted previously. However, I will always take a cut rifled barrel over a button riles barrel as long as I have the option of doing so.

I have some very accurate button barrels now and have had some in the past as well. It's been my own personal experience that cut rifled barrels have been the easiest to work up loads for compared to button rifled barrels.

While a button rifled barrel can shoot very well, and it's proven that they do, I prefer to "stack the deck" in my favor by getting a cut rifled barrel.

Cut rifling produces less stress in the steel generally speaking than button rifling does. Button barrels have to have at least one more stress relieving step than do cut barrels (Krieger does an additional cryogenic stress releiving step I understand).

If a fluted barrel is desired, then a cut barrel makes more sense as well due to the possibility of the button barrel opening up dimensionally. Same goes with threading the muzzle.

I will conclude my posting with this: I do believe a button barrel and a cut barrel can both be equally accurate as long as both barrels are made correctly.

 

[VinceMule]

AA Ron, I question your thought process on the cut vs button rifled, there are a LOT of different factors that go into a super accurate barrel, of which how accurately the barrel was indicated in before chambering by the gunsmith. Also, did the same gunsmith chamber all those barrels? Was the Same reamer used?

When you start watching stats, remember that many follow the leader with not much thought, like elephants with their tails tied together. Many years ago, it was said that if a winning benchrest shooter put a wheel on their scope, on the next match, half the guys there would have wheels on their scope.

The gunsmith that does the chambering/inspection prior to chambering is more important than whether it is a Cut or Button barrel.

 

[Beluebow]

Back to the point, are the best 100 shooters in F class, bench rest, long range ect.. using cut or button rifled? I don't know the answer,

I know the answer.....Matt Basalla finished 6th last year at LR nationals with a Shilen barrel....this year he won it with a Brux. A good barrel is where you find it regardless of who's name is on it. Most do use cut rifled barrels.

 

[matt_3479]

I've run half a dozen button rifled benchmarks, and 2 ibi button rifled barrels and they have been exceptional! I have cut rifled ks arms, and bartleins as well with excellent results as well. I have nothing but confidence in benchmark barrels. My worst shooting barrel out of these is the bartlein. Not that it's bad shooting by any means but my benchmarks have proven to be super easy to clean, they stay in tune long, hold poi from cold to warm well. My 1 ibi might be one of the most accurate barrels I've ever owned and continues to blow me away. The ks cut rifled barrels have proven insane.

If I had to choose I would choose cut rifled barrels, but a good manufacturer like benchmark buttons I wouldn't hesitate, ibi I'll be getting more as this barrel just blows me away but ks arms will be my primary barrel. With the 6-7 barrels of there's I have as well they continue to impress as well

 

[Justice1327]

I have already posted previously. However, I will always take a cut rifled barrel over a button riles barrel as long as I have the option of doing so.

I have some very accurate button barrels now and have had some in the past as well. It's been my own personal experience that cut rifled barrels have been the easiest to work up loads for compared to button rifled barrels.

While a button rifled barrel can shoot very well, and it's proven that they do, I prefer to "stack the deck" in my favor by getting a cut rifled barrel.

Cut rifling produces less stress in the steel generally speaking than button rifling does. Button barrels have to have at least one more stress relieving step than do cut barrels (Krieger does an additional cryogenic stress releiving step I understand).

If a fluted barrel is desired, then a cut barrel makes more sense as well due to the possibility of the button barrel opening up dimensionally. Same goes with threading the muzzle.

I will conclude my posting with this: I do believe a button barrel and a cut barrel can both be equally accurate as long as both barrels are made correctly.

Krieger no longer Cryogenically treats their barrels. I had an email from them. I don't know if I could find it but the bottom line was they got better steel and they changed some of the process and they no longer found it beneficial.

 

[Beluebow]

Krieger no longer Cryogenically treats their barrels. I had an email from them. I don't know if I could find it but the bottom line was they got better steel and they changed some of the process and they no longer found it beneficial.

"I think" the only barrel company that still cyro's barrels is Benchmark. I've sent a small truck load to 300Below to have cryo'd.

 

[BillLarson]

The only way to respond to a question like this, is with evidence. The answer is ultra difficult to quantify, and takes more than a hundred thousand rounds fired and several hundred barrels at minimum to even begin to answer correctly.

My answer: A bad barrel is a bad barrel. A good barrel is a good barrel. Every rifling method can produce good barrels, and bad barrels. The competency and quality control of the manufacturer determines whether their method produces good results or not. Buttoned barrels will consistently shoot as good as any cut rifled barrels can.

Some proof, all with button barrels:










https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8e1UZ6w-lg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O74bzzM1Htw

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxaVgR3LQPa/?igshid=MjJkMmIyYzQxYw==


So in summation, button barrels from Benchmark barrels shoot quite small. Every one of them I've ever received from 22LR to .375 Cheytac. While I can't find the video's of back when I was doing cheytac stuff, you can at least see video evidence with your own eyes from 22LR to 7mm Norma Mag Improved.

Benchmark does cut rifled barrels now too. I have cut rifled barrels through here from many makers. These button cut barrels will shoot with ANY cut rifled barrel. Rifling configurations of all across the spectrum. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 groove, .17cal to .375cal, every twist imaginable, every flute configuration imaginable, countless different contours. They ALL shoot small. This isn't opinion. This is fact. So it's not about what... it's about who, and how.

Some companies can put out a good barrel 99.9% of the time, while others struggle with quality control. You buy your ticket and take your ride, and it is what it is. If you're happy, pound away. If you're not, spin up a new one and rock on.

This isn't complicated.

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Very Good dissertation..... all TRUE...

 

[Dean2]

I've run half a dozen button rifled benchmarks, and 2 ibi button rifled barrels and they have been exceptional! I have cut rifled ks arms, and bartleins as well with excellent results as well. I have nothing but confidence in benchmark barrels. My worst shooting barrel out of these is the bartlein. Not that it's bad shooting by any means but my benchmarks have proven to be super easy to clean, they stay in tune long, hold poi from cold to warm well. My 1 ibi might be one of the most accurate barrels I've ever owned and continues to blow me away. The ks cut rifled barrels have proven insane.

If I had to choose I would choose cut rifled barrels, but a good manufacturer like benchmark buttons I wouldn't hesitate, ibi I'll be getting more as this barrel just blows me away but ks arms will be my primary barrel. With the 6-7 barrels of there's I have as well they continue to impress as well

I agree on the KS Arms cut rifle barrels. Superb shooters, consistent, hand lapped so easy to clean and they stand behind their work. Cut rifled barrels don't tend to cost any more than top notch button rifled, so I buy cut rifled, hand lapped, when I need new barrels.

 

[VinceMule]

Cut rifle barrels that clean up easy are as nice as button rifle barrels. The ROUGH cut rifle barrels make you hate life.

 

[Deputy819]

VERY interesting podcast on barrels. Check it out…

 

[A A Ron]

VinceMule my thought process is pretty straightforward. I want a rifle that doesn't hold me back and doesn't weigh 14 lbs.
Somedays I can shoot a lot better than 1/2 moa other days, not so much. We have all had those days where it takes a bit to settle in and tighten everything up.

Seekins is a local company with good people. If I can get what I want as far as rifle accuracy and support a good local company, I will.

The rub - My experience has been that high end cut rifled barrels are accurate, consistent, easy to clean, and easy to tune. I want Seekin's barrels to be as good as Bartlein. Wanting a button rifle barrel to have equal performance doesn't make it so. Since I'm not made of money I'm going to make a calculated decision and gather information.

Then again I could be a "messed up" hick from Idaho.

 

[matt_3479]

I agree on the KS Arms cut rifle barrels. Superb shooters, consistent, hand lapped so easy to clean and they stand behind their work. Cut rifled barrels don't tend to cost any more than top notch button rifled, so I buy cut rifled, hand lapped, when I need new barrels.

Yah I've had incredible luck with ks arms barrels. I own a few of them in different calibers and they continue to impress me. Ks would be my barrel of choice but a benchmark or ibi I wouldn't say no too either. If all had similar wait times, then ks would be it.

These were on a fresh tube, with a powder I hadn't tried before and a bullet I hadn't tried before in the bra. Just slapped it together to fireform brass and break in the barrel.